Panels

Passionate about a specific topic and eager to hear a variety of perspectives? V2V Panels feature a variety of themes specifically chosen to give entrepreneurs vital insight and information. See the full list of all programming here.

Build & Unite an Audience for Social Change
Cheryl Contee (Fission Strategy), Leanne Pittsford (Start Somewhere) and Rachel Sklar (The List)
The internet has become a powerful tool for fundraising and political and community organizing. It’s an industry that didn’t exist in its current form 10 years ago – and will continue to evolve rapidly 10 years from now. From Howard Dean changing the way we look at email fundraising in 2004 to Barack Obama showing the value of big data in organizing in 2012, organizers who want to build communities or raise money need to stay on top of the most innovative and creative ways to reach people. This panel will look into some of the more successful digital organizing campaigns and also discuss what future engagement will look like.

Building a Startup Community
Porter Haney (Wedgies), Dylan Jorgensen (TicketCake), Kelly Eidson (Moveline) and Jennifer Chin (LaunchBit)
The most appealing aspect of running a startup in a big city is the sheer number of other companies to collaborate with. Whether looking for funding, b2b opportunities, or to overcome a legislative hurdle, having a network of like-minded companies creates a sense of community and strengthens the common goals these companies have. But with big cities becoming too expensive and crowded, startups are moving in increasing numbers to emerging markets like Portland, Las Vegas, and Denver. Startups in smaller cities, despite being fewer in number, should still strive to build a community that will stimulate growth. Recently, Moveline, TicketCake, Launchbit, and Wedgies have moved to Las Vegas where we’ve immediately formed a community dedicated to engaging in b2b opportunities, forming a seed stage investment fund (the VegasTechFund) and to the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas. Our group of panelist knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of building a thriving startup community.

Fear: The Other 4 Letter Word
Jim Hopkinson (Hopkinson Creative Media), Jey Van-Sharp (MyÜberLife), Adam Marelli (Adam Marelli Photo), Helen Todd (Sociality Squared)
“Doubt Kills More Dreams than Failure Ever Will” -Instagram image; Failure, rejection, ridicule, disappointment and the unknown are all powerful fears that can keep us in our comfort zones and hold us back from our reaching our creative potential. Fear can prevent us from thinking up ideas and also hold us back from sharing ideas. Today the stage is more public than ever before with 24/7 connectivity to the web; the audience is louder and more critical; and our social currency more profoundly tied to our online extensions and credibility. Once you put your idea out there will it be accepted, criticized, or worst yet, not heard at all? The panel that explored creativity at the inaugural SXSW V2V is going further this year to address fear as part of the creative process – how it can hold us back and propel us forward. The panelists from the fields of tech, fashion and art are diving into fear and creativity so the audience will leave more fearless in their own creative endeavors.

Forget the Flying Car, Just Get Me a Connected Car
Doug Newcomb (Newcomb Communications & Consulting), Chris Penrose (AT&T) and Victor Melfi (Voicebox)
The advent of the connected car is upon us as wireless carriers deploy super-fast 4G LTE mobile broadband and consumers demand always-on connectivity. GM, BMW, Audi, Tesla and others are touting the services including streaming internet radio, video and safety services. But the connected car also opens up a host of questions about whose services will be allowed on the car, the role of the wireless carrier, app developer and the OEM. Billions of dollars are at stake as this emerging technology begins, but so are questions about the safety and security of consumers who will be using them.

Hacking Academic Medical Center Silos
Jennifer Joe (Medstro), Andrea Ippolito (MIT Hacking Medicine)
With LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, the millennials are ushering us into the Age of Connectivity. With 23&Me, FitBit, Jawbone, and others, the health industry is bringing a new level of medicine to the population that is occurring outside mainstream academic medicine. How do we bring these amazing advances into the doctor's office? When will a patient be able to send his own EKG to his doctor through a smartphone? The technology is here. Academic medicine is learning to embrace this. Because of this, outside groups are trying to bring traditional academic powerhouses together for collaboration. MIT Hacking Medicine has held 10 hackathons in the last 6 months--allowing Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital to communicate unlike ever before. Academic hospitals are creating their own incubators. What needs to happen for academic medicine to embrace the Age of Connectivity?

How to Make the Crowd Go Wild
Susan Cooney (Givelocity), David Manshoory (Asset Avenue), Joy Schoffler (Leverage PR) and Richard Rodman (Crowdentials)
Think you know about crowdfunding? Think again. The JOBS ACT and equity crowdfunding are revolutionizing the capital markets, and startups across the country are excited by new opportunities to receive funding for their ventures. However, much confusion surrounds how they can actually capitalize on these changes. This panel of leading securities and crowdfunding experts will guide attendees through step-by-step instructions on executing an equity crowdfunding raise and also provide an outline of Titles II and III of the JOBS Act, which enable these types of raises.
The speakers come from a variety of backgrounds but have one thing in common: they are pioneers in the crowdfunding space. This panel will be a deep dive into the relevant securities law and SEC regulations, costs and benefits at different raise levels and best practices to help you make the crowd go wild. The guidance panelists provide is based not on conjecture—but on real case studies and data from around the world.

Perfect Marriage: Venture Capital + Marketing
Arthur Vallin (Harley and Company), Sarah Hall (Harley and Company), Rajesh Sawhney (GSF India) and Michael Walden (Seavest Investment Group)
Increasingly, investing in the right mix of branding + marketing - at the right stage of development - is essential to a startup's success. This is true from their initial seed round all the way through to going public. Venture capital firms are increasingly realizing the importance of providing these services to their portfolio companies as part of their overall package. This is paving the way for unique agency and VC partnerships, like the one between the panelists, where support is not restricted to funding. The combination of different services creates an offering for startups that includes: funding, branding, digital / mobile design, customer acquisition + retention, human capital development and go to market strategies. This session will give attendees insight into how to take advantage of this new model in the market. It will also give them insight into how to effectively structure their funding and branding/marketing efforts at a variety of growth stages.

Safe is Risky: Why You Should Blaze Your Own Trail
Meenal Balar (Remind101), Bhavin Shah (Refresh, Inc.), Aaron Hirschborn (DogVacay) and Steve Vassallo (Foundation Capital)
No job is 100% guaranteed and there is no safety in going the traditional job route anymore. With the rise of the VC world, there is now more opportunity than ever for people to blaze their own trail. And that is a lot more exciting than parking it in a cubicle for eight hours day...or maybe ten hours...or maybe twelve.
In this session you'll hear from both sides of the discussion: VC and startup, on why being safe is often too risky, and sometimes the craziest thing to do is to not do something 'crazy'. The panelists, who have extensive knowledge of the industry, will be able to explain the factors involved in starting your own company and seeking funding from investors. Additionally, they will provide insight into their own experiences of going their own way vs. taking a job at a more traditional company.

Startups: Innovating Big Business
Joseph Jaffe (Evol8tion), Guy Story (Audible.com), Daryl Bryant (StartupValley)
Do you want to be the next business acquired by a multibillion dollar corporation? "Startups: Innovating Big Business" will be an exciting panel speaking about the dynamic relationship between startups, equity crowdfunding, and big business. In our startup driven world, big businesses are looking to become more entrepreneurial and innovative by joining the ranks of creative startup companies, most notably in the tech space. Corporations are operating with a startup mentality and want to be a part of this fast paced landscape. Learn how you can utilize the vast pool of resources from these large corporations for your startup. This panel is complete with strong leaders in the industry from 3 different viewpoints: equity crowdfunding (Daryl Bryant - Founder and CEO StartupValley), big business (Guy Story - CTO Audible.com), and startup/brand partnerships (Joe Jaffe - Co-Founder and CEO Evol8tion.com)

Startup Funding: Alternative Sources of Capital
Mary Juetten (Traklight), Jennifer Beall (Clean Bee Baby), Gavin Fish (Light Harmonic) and Delilah Panio (Stiletto Dash Inc.)
Regardless of the size or industry, every new venture will eventually need to raise money to move the company forward. This is true whether you are creating a great lifestyle company or the next big tech startup that will be acquired by Google or will go public.
But the reality is that the most sought after funding route (family/friends to angels to VCs) is not accessible to most startups, especially in the early stages. So it's critical that every entrepreneur knows and understands all of the options available -- from bootstrapping to crowdfunding to SBA loans to investment from your customers.

Startup Politics: Tech Inside the Beltway
Matt Lira (National Republican Senatorial Committee), Tracy Russo (Russo Strategies), Brian Lyle (Generation Opportunity) and Julie Germany (DCI Group)
Do you ever wonder, "What is the Beltway thinking" -- especially when it comes to understanding technology and start-up culture? We live and work in the halls of Congress, for candidates, and with causes trying to influence legislation -- and sometimes we wonder the same thing. But we see something else too: an irresistible obsession with start-ups and tech that energizes elected officials, political parties and causes, and engages them, even when they don't always understand the details. When the Beltway looks at entrepreneurs, what does it see? What lessons has it learned from start-up culture? How can we bridge the knowledge gap to help build more effective movements and craft better policy?

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